Toy



Patented May 14, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY Sofronio M. Suyat, Santa Monica, Calif. Application November 27, 1944, Serial No. 565,347

1 Claim.

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly, to a toy projectile adapted to be projected by a catapult.

A main object of this invention is to produce a foldable toy projectile adapted to automatically unfold after being catapulted, presenting a floating or soaring structure to simulate a bomb supported in the air by a parachute or glider.

Further objects of this invention will appear from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view partly in section showing a preferred embodiment of the toy projectile in the folded condition prior to launching.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the projectile after launching, in the floating or soaring condition with the air flaps unfolded, the position of the various elements in the folded condition being shown in dotted view.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the projectile in the unfolded conditionof Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the projectile comprises a nose portion l, preferably of light material such as cork, a generally cylindrical hollow body portion 2, and an end portion 4 of light material provided with a launching notch 3 in which a loop of the rubber band 5 used for launching the projectile is received. The rubber band 5 may be held for launching by looping the two end portions thereof around the thumb and index finger of the hand, or by obviously employing an ordinary sling shot Y-shaped frame member (not shown) for this purpose.

As shown in Figure 4, the hollow body portion 2 is provided with four spaced slots such as shown at B, the slots being spaced 90 apart. Within the hollow body portion is an axially slidable piston member 1 provided with an axial piston rod 8 slidably movably in axial bore 9 of end portion 4. The length of rod 8 is such that it projects substantially beyond the top surface of the end portion 4 when the projectile is in the unfolded condition (see Fig. 2). A rubber band II is fastened at one end to a hook attached to piston l and at the other .end to a pin attached adjacent the top of end portion 4, a hollow bore l2 being provided therefor in end portion 4 (see Fig. 2). Rubher band I l acts to normally retract piston l and to project rod 8 so that the top thereof extends above the top of the projectile.

End portion 4 carries four flap members It made of light resilient material such as balsa Wood or stiff cardboard. The flap members are aligned with slots 6 and connected to end portion 4 by spring biased hinge and bracket assemblies I 3, normally acting to extend the flap members to the generally horizontal position shown by the full lines of Figure 2. Each flap member M is connected through a slot 6 to the piston member 1 by rubber bands l5. Each rubber band is looped over a hook IE on piston member 1 and a tongue element l8 provided on the flap! by punching out a generally U-shaped slot I 9 in the flap. The rubber band loop may be slipped over the tongue l8 by slightly depressing the tongue to provide the necessary clearance. The rubber bands l5 act to retract the flaps Hi to the folded condition when piston 'l is retracted by a force exerted longitudinally inward 0n rod 8. This force may be provided by the rubber band 5 during launching, or may be provided manually for folding the flaps to a retracted position when the toy is not being used. When rod 8 is released by launching the projectile the spring biased hinge assemblies l3 act to extend the flap members l4, causing the projectile to soar or float and tending to retard its descent through the air so as to simulate a bomb provided with a parachute.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications of the structure described herein may be made within the spirit of the invention and it is therefore intended that no limitation be placed upon the scope of the invention other than as expressed in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A toy projectile adapted to be launched from a catapult comprising a hollow body portion, flap means hinged to the body portion, means normally urging the flap means to an extended position, axially movable piston means within the body portion operatively connected to said flap means to at times retract the flap means, said piston means being provided with a contact element extending outside the body portion and adapted to move the piston means to a flapretracting position during launching by contact with the catapult.

SOFRONIO M. SUYAT. 

